Sheila Athens writes the kinds of books I love to read—“smart women’s fiction with a hint of romance.” She also says that “her stories are about women seeking to find the peace we all deserve—whether they’re battling an external foe or an internal one (or both).” Which means her books are both relatable and realistic, though they also have a splash of magical realism. Sheila has been writing for a long time, and she has three books out now—Mae Van Dorn’s Perfect Storm released last month—with plans for more. This reader, like many others, is looking forward to seeing what comes next.

Welcome, Sheila!

Christina: Your most recent book, Mae Van Dorn’s Perfect Storm, features 34-year-old Mae, whose life “spins out of control.” Spinning means different things to different people. How does Mae define spinning? Where did the idea for Mae’s story come from? Did anyone in particular inspire Mae?

Sheila: Mae’s life is spinning out of control because so many things are going wrong. In the early chapters of the book, she loses her job when she badmouths her organization’s largest donor on a hot mic. She catches her boyfriend cheating on her, which means she must move out of the house his family owns. And finally, she’s forced to move in with her estranged brother in a town she’s never been to.

The idea for Mae’s story came about because I wanted to write about someone who goes from being very misanthropic to seeing the good in humanity.

Christina: The novel includes a “sprinkling of magical realism.” Why magical realism? Could you tell the story without it? Did you ever contemplate telling the story without it?

Sheila: My previous book, Neena Lee Is Seeing Things, featured the ghost of John F. Kennedy, Jr. It was so much fun to write something that was a bit otherworldly that I wanted to include something similar in Mae’s story. I guess the story could be told without it, but the story might not be as rich. I did contemplate writing the story without it, but the magical realism adds a level that I didn’t want to exclude.

Christina: Let’s talk about Neena Lee and John F. Kennedy Jr. Did you have any reservations about writing a story with a name as huge as his? Did any other big names make the short list for that character, or was it always going to be JFK Jr.?

Sheila: I did have a few initial reservations about writing the ghost of John F. Kennedy, Jr., but I don’t say anything bad about him in the book. As he was in real life, he’s a handsome, witty, and charming ghost. He can come haunt me anytime he wants!

The story is set on the remote island off the coast of Georgia where he and Carolyn Bessette pulled off a private, paparazzi-free wedding, so no other big names were considered. The story idea started when I wondered “does his ghost ever come back to visit this magical island that was so important in his life?”

Christina: Neena Lee is 56 years old. Some authors are worried about ageism in the publishing industry with respect to a protagonist’s age. Was this a worry for you? If not, why not?

Sheila: I firmly believe that we need more stories featuring older protagonists. Many of my reviews mention how the reader was happy to read about someone their own age. For this reason, I consider an older protagonist to be a help, not a hindrance.

Christina: I love that your work showcases the idea that “everyday heroes can make a difference in our world.” Who do you consider everyday heroes? What sort of things can we do on a daily basis to become everyday heroes?

Sheila: Everyday heroes are the construction worker who mows the lawn of his elderly neighbor without being asked or the high school cheerleader who sits in the cafeteria with the person who doesn’t appear to have any friends or the woman who feeds the hungry cat that shows up at her back door.

We can all be everyday heroes by letting kindness guide our actions. Maybe it costs a little bit of money—like paying down the lunch debt of some students at your nearby elementary school—but often showing kindness comes at no cost other than a little bit of time. We should all strive to be everyday heroes.

Christina: You “spent three decades in corporate America.” What did your time in that sector teach you? Do your experiences there inform your writing?

Sheila: Most of my career was spent as a VP of Human Resources, which provided great insight into human nature—people seeking justice when they’ve been wronged in the workplace or trying to be accepted among a group of peers or leaders who make others feel good about themselves. In that regard, all those years on the job allowed me to study human nature, which is what fiction is all about.

Christina: I’m a fellow INFJ. Do you think this personality shapes you as a writer, and if so, how? What characteristics of the INFJ personality have been the most useful to you? Do any of them hinder you and your goals?

Sheila: Writing is a good career for introverts because it requires so much time alone, living inside our heads. That’s our natural habitat and the place we feel most comfortable. The “f” in INFJ stands for “feeling,” which is a good trait for a writer to have because fiction is so much about making readers feel things.

Contrary to popular belief, being an introvert is not the same thing as being shy. I’m not a shy person, so I don’t have the fear of author talks or book signings that some authors have. I actually enjoy them!

Christina: This past year you moved residences. Has that impacted your writing? Do you have a dedicated writing space in the new place? What do you like best about your new home?

Sheila: Moving is hard work! The biggest impact on my writing was the time it took to get everything culled, packed and then unpacked at my new house. I do have a dedicated study for my writing.

What I like best about my new home is that it is even closer to my grandchildren than I was before. I watch them two days a week. What I like best about the house itself is the screened-in back porch. It’s my favorite “room” of the house. As a Floridian, I can spend time out there year-round. It faces west, so I get to see some beautiful sunsets over the lake.

Christina: You’re a dedicated writer hiker. For those who might not know, what is a writer hiker? How big is your group? How does the hiking activity impact or influence your writing?

Sheila: “The writer hikers” were born when a handful of local members of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association discovered that we all liked to hike/walk. There were initially five of us, but one has moved out of the area. In the summer, we walk at sunrise, before the Florida sun gets too hot. In the winter, we can go inland because many of the bugs have died off for the year.

Writers just “get” each other more than our regular friends and our families, so it’s great to spend time talking about the challenges and bright spots of our industry. We’ve become a great support system for each other. And the fact that we’re getting exercise while we do it is an added bonus.

Christina: What’s next for you?

Sheila: I’m currently working on a series set on Amelia Island, Florida, where my new home is located. As always, my books are contemporary women’s fiction set “where the South meets the Sunshine State.”

Sheila can be found in multiple places!
Website: https://www.sheilaathens.com/
X: @SheilaAthens
Instagram: @sheilaathensauthor
Facebook: @SheilaAthensAuthor
BookBub: @sheila-athens

Thanks to Sheila for agreeing to this interview! If you know of an author or artist who’d like to be featured in an interview (or you would like to be featured), feel free to leave a comment or email me via my contact page.